Winston-Salem State has announced Bonita Brown as the new chancellor of the institution, per a report by the Winston-Salem Journal. Brown’s appointment marks a historic moment as she becomes the first female chancellor in the institution’s history.

For Brown, this appointment is more than just a professional achievement. Born in Winston-Salem to parents who are proud alumni of WSSU, Brown has deep-rooted connections to the university and the local community. Her return to WSSU is marked by her previous tenure at the institution, where she served as an assistant university attorney from 2004 to 2006.

“It is a true honor and a privilege to return home to lead this great institution,” Brown said in a statement obtained by the Winston-Salem State Journal. “WSSU stands out as a leader in social mobility, which I have personally benefited from through my parents, and I want to provide that same opportunity to others in this region. I look forward to working with the amazing WSSU faculty, staff, students and alumni as we build upon the historical strengths of this university that will launch us into the future. I have been preparing for this moment my entire career and I am overjoyed to serve this great institution.”

Before her appointment at Winston-Salem, she served as Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Northern Kentucky University. Her extensive experience within the University of North Carolina (UNC) System includes significant leadership positions at UNC Greensboro, where she was Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff from 2010 to 2015, and at the UNC School of the Arts, where she was General Counsel in 2006.

Brown earned her undergraduate and law degrees from Wake Forest University. She further honed her leadership skills by attending the prestigious Institute of Educational Management at Harvard University. Brown is set to assume her new role on July 1, 2024, succeeding Interim Chancellor Anthony Graham, who was appointed in July 2023 after serving as the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at WSSU.

Winston-Salem State’s previous chancellor Elwood Robinson retired in June 2023 after serving in the position for 8 years. He announced his retirement in January 2023.

“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement as chancellor after over 39 years of higher education service. I have always believed that genius resides within everyone, and I have spent my career creating opportunities where that genius can be realized and shared. I believe with the launch of this strategic plan that the groundwork to continue that mission has been firmly established and now is the perfect intersection of time and opportunity to retire,” he said in a letter released on the institution’s website in January 2023.

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